Challenges of the cultural and creative industries of Macao

Cultural and creative entities have blossomed in Macao in recent years, thanks to a massive increase in government funding.

But industry insiders say the development of the sector should be supported by marketing experts and good content that can represent the former Portuguese enclave.

Jones Chong, chairman of Macao Artistes Association, saw Macao as home to many potential artists and creative talents, new venues, galleries and incubators, as well as the massive amount of funding to the industry.

Local officials have been examining the sector since the handover in 1999. Last September, the government formally wrote its plan to boost the creative industry in a five-year comprehensive proposal, after setting up a two-million-pataca cultural industries fund, a governmental department and a committee for promoting the sector.

“It is an ideal time to join the cultural and creative scene,” said Chong. Founding the first music, television and film production company in Macao, Chessman Production, in 2001, he believed the sector has found its niche in the city and is a ticket to the neighbouring cities.

Many local artists, from singers and designers to actors and film directors, have become famous in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. At the end, like many local industry insiders, Chong’s aim is to bring the city’s cultural creative artists out of their own place to other Asian cities, if not the rest of the world, to represent Macao as a brand.

“Like Singapore, many singers and artists aren't based in their hometown, but their name and works are well known in other Asian countries,” he said, noting the dearth of advertisement and that the small domestic market cannot support a mature creative sector in the SAR.

To find their place in the worldwide market, local artists have to produce content that is up to par.

“Let’s say, when you release your song, either online or offline, your competitors are from not only your neighbourhood, but also the rest of the world, like, Bigbang and Madonna,” Chong continued.

Although Macao does not have a strong edge in the industry, Chong saw it can be an advantage as the sector is open to a wide variety of genres and ideas at the early stage.

Hong Heng-fai, filmmaker and founder of Day Day Studio, a local indie film production house, said there is still room for improvement in the storylines of Macanese productions, compared to the short films from other countries, such as UK and France.

Hong’s recent short film Crash not only won local film awards, but is also nominated for a number of international film awards, including the Golden Horse in Taiwan and SHNIT in Switzerland.

“Their cultural history and education are the key,” he opined. “In South Korea, for example, art and film courses are included in their high school curriculum. They know how to tell a story and appreciate a piece of art.”

Campbell McLean, director of Crane Production and co-founder of Aomen.tv in Macao reckoned young people of Macao do not view and absorb enough good quality television content from other sources.

“Macao should get into the mindset of creating and developing its own brand of creative content. But to learn anything you need a good reference point to start with,” said McLean.

Agreeing education can help improve the local creative content and encourage the public to appreciate the arts and the industry, Agnes Lam, a member of the Cultural Industry Committee (CIC) and the assistant dean of the Faculty of Social Science of the University of Macao, indicated there are no other industries to support the creative sector.

In many places, cultural and creative industry is about “cultural idea plus manufacturing”, she said. In Macao, however, the manufacturing famine limits the variety of the creative productions. “What can we sell? There is no medium to carry the culture and our idea.”

Media aside, middlemen are what the industry is looking for as well.

“Cultural and creative industry doesn't require a lot of space. It is suitable for Macao, which doesn't have farms and factories,” said Lam. “But that means we’ve been falling short of experts, from lighting and scriptwriting to marketing and distribution. For example, putting a film on the cinema screen in Chinese mainland, you’ll need someone familiar with the law and regulations in China.”

Chong, chief executive of Chessman, saw that a good product is not enough – the industry needs excellent business ideas to distribute them to the rest of the world.

“Macao locals shouldn’t have to feel that they alone must do it all on their own,” said McLean, a veteran filmmaker in Macao, who also lamented local gaming operators do not support local media “in the way they should”, but tend to favour international artists.

“They like us around but they don’t always need us,” lamented McLean. He said the gaming sector, which contributes significance tax revenue to Macao Foundation, should show support for local small-and-medium enterprises for reaching the mass market and international audience.

Local lawmaker Antonio Ng Kuok-cheong called for the authorities to negotiate for more venues at casino resorts for the cultural and creative units and companies with gaming concessionaires, before the gaming license renewal by 2022.

“Macao never had a strong edge in the creative and cultural sector, but a massive reserve of funding,” Ng said. “After all, money is not the only condition.”

He said the luxury resorts could draw visitors worldwide, but the rent would be high for small and medium-sized local creative groups. The officials should ask the gaming operators to include more of these industry insiders at lower rents, especially mass market non-gaming elements that top the criteria of concession renewal.

“There can also be synergy between tourism and creative industries,” he added.